Days after a tin-eared United Airlines doubled the fee for a second checked bag to $50, Air Canada gains major customer-service points by eliminating the fee, citing the drop in fuel prices.
Go, Air Canada!
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
'Saudi Arabia the New Dubai'? Um, I Don't Think So
Holy cow, here's Saudi Arabia, abetted by some American profiteers, trying to position itself as the 'new Dubai.'
Hold on before you rush to get that visa, though. Nothing really has changed in Saudi Arabia except the desire for more outside investment.
The current State Department Travel Warning on Saudi Arabia says that Americans are "strongly advised to avoid staying in hotels or housing compounds that do not apply stringent security measures ..."
Also, before you head off to a fun-filled holiday in the jolly desert kingdom, remember that, as the State Department advises: "Married women need the permission of their husbands to leave Saudi Arabia ... This is true regardless of nationality."
All things considered, I'd rather be in Atlantic City.
###
Hold on before you rush to get that visa, though. Nothing really has changed in Saudi Arabia except the desire for more outside investment.
The current State Department Travel Warning on Saudi Arabia says that Americans are "strongly advised to avoid staying in hotels or housing compounds that do not apply stringent security measures ..."
Also, before you head off to a fun-filled holiday in the jolly desert kingdom, remember that, as the State Department advises: "Married women need the permission of their husbands to leave Saudi Arabia ... This is true regardless of nationality."
All things considered, I'd rather be in Atlantic City.
###
Monday, September 15, 2008
United Doubles Fee for 2nd Checked Bag to $50
The Wall Street pirates are scaring the bejabbers out of us honest citizens, while the price of oil has dropped below $100 a barrel.
What better time, then, for United Airlines to demonstrate just how big its tin ear really is?
United quietly upped the one-way fee for checking a second bag to $50, for tickets bought starting tomorrow for travel starting Nov. 10.
In an announcement sent on the PR Newswire, United spoke of the "challenging economic environment." Apparently with a straight face. Here's the announcement.
The fee for the first checked bag remains at $15. For now.
###
What better time, then, for United Airlines to demonstrate just how big its tin ear really is?
United quietly upped the one-way fee for checking a second bag to $50, for tickets bought starting tomorrow for travel starting Nov. 10.
In an announcement sent on the PR Newswire, United spoke of the "challenging economic environment." Apparently with a straight face. Here's the announcement.
The fee for the first checked bag remains at $15. For now.
###
Houston Airports Resume Some Operations
No outsiders should be traveling in Houston unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm hearing from people that conditions in the Houston region are worse than generally assumed, especially given the widespread power outages and the heat and humidity.
The city has imposed an overnight curfew -- 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. -- all week.
But according to the Houston Airport System, which operates Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports, you can drive to or from the airports if you have "proof of travel plans."
Bad bureaucratic language survives any natural disaster, but I'm guessing that "proof of travel plans" means a printed airline ticket receipt or boarding pass. And hey, good luck there, given that there's no electricity in most of the area.
Here's the statement from the airport authority, and the cap italics are mine:
The city has imposed an overnight curfew -- 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. -- all week.
But according to the Houston Airport System, which operates Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports, you can drive to or from the airports if you have "proof of travel plans."
Bad bureaucratic language survives any natural disaster, but I'm guessing that "proof of travel plans" means a printed airline ticket receipt or boarding pass. And hey, good luck there, given that there's no electricity in most of the area.
Here's the statement from the airport authority, and the cap italics are mine:
“Starting Monday, Sept. 15, some airlines will resume flights into and out of
Air travelers are advised to arrive at the airport for their flight at least two hours before the scheduled departure. While the City of Houston has issued a curfew—ANYONE WHO HAS A CONFIRMED AIRLINE SEAT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PROOF OF TRAVEL PLANS IF THEY ARE DRIVING ON HOUSTON ROADS after 9:00 p.m. or before 6:00 a.m. as they are traveling to and from one of
Due to the fact that some airlines are resuming flights and others are waiting until Tuesday, Sept. 16, it is very important that customers confirm travel plans with their individual airline prior to going to the airport.
Flooding still exists on some roads and recent rain since Hurricane Ike has caused additional flooding. Travelers are advised to allow extra time on their way to the airports to safely navigate the access roads.
Air travelers may also check flight schedule changes with the Houston Airport System flight tracking information line at 281-230-7000 or www.fly2houston.com.
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Sunday, September 14, 2008
Overnight Curfew All Week in Houston
Houston has imposed a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew starting tonight, through next Saturday. The AP story says imprecisely that the police say that residents should not be on the streets during the curfew. Obviously, the curfew includes everybody, not just residents.
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Saturday, September 13, 2008
Alitalia On the Brink
If you're booked to fly on Alitalia, good luck.
The airline and its unions are well beyond an impasse. Desperately needed new investors took a look at the situation and ran away as fast as they could Friday. Here's a report in the Guardian that sounds very dire.
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The airline and its unions are well beyond an impasse. Desperately needed new investors took a look at the situation and ran away as fast as they could Friday. Here's a report in the Guardian that sounds very dire.
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Clueless F.A.A. Info (Cont'd)
Again, do not be fooled today by that useless F.A.A. "Airport Status and Delays"so-called real-time map at www. faa.gov
See that merry green dot over George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport, signifying no delays, and all is well? Well, there definitely have been no delays at IAH as of 1 p.m. EDT. Yes indeedy -- exactly two planes took off so far today, and by dang, both left on time. There were no arrivals.
On the other hand, not shown on the happy little F.A.A. map: There have been 847 canceled flights so far today at IAH, according to the very reliable Flightstats.com
Yesterday, when the F.A.A. site was also showing that "everything's-hunky-dory" green dot over IAH all day, there were 980 canceled flights at IAH.
By the way, on a totally unrelated note, I read today a feature story that mentioned "Coffee Tea or Me?," the racy 1967 runaway best seller about the exploits of two sexy stewardesses (and that's what they were called).
Actually, that book was a wonderful hoax. It was in fact written by Donald Bain, a New York ad man who met two stewardesses trying to peddle a book but realized that they only had a few little anecdotes, nowhere near the stuff necessary to make a book.
So Don and a publisher signed the stewardesses up to pose as the "authors" on publicity tours for the book, full title: "Coffee Tea or Me: The Uninhibited Memoirs of Two Airline Stewardesses."
Don wrote the book strictly from his own imagination, and didn't fess up to the hoax till almost a quarter century later, when an anniversary edition appeared. He later went on to write the "Murder She Wrote" mystery series and many other books (80 in all), and he's a gentleman of the first order.
###
See that merry green dot over George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport, signifying no delays, and all is well? Well, there definitely have been no delays at IAH as of 1 p.m. EDT. Yes indeedy -- exactly two planes took off so far today, and by dang, both left on time. There were no arrivals.
On the other hand, not shown on the happy little F.A.A. map: There have been 847 canceled flights so far today at IAH, according to the very reliable Flightstats.com
Yesterday, when the F.A.A. site was also showing that "everything's-hunky-dory" green dot over IAH all day, there were 980 canceled flights at IAH.
By the way, on a totally unrelated note, I read today a feature story that mentioned "Coffee Tea or Me?," the racy 1967 runaway best seller about the exploits of two sexy stewardesses (and that's what they were called).
Actually, that book was a wonderful hoax. It was in fact written by Donald Bain, a New York ad man who met two stewardesses trying to peddle a book but realized that they only had a few little anecdotes, nowhere near the stuff necessary to make a book.
So Don and a publisher signed the stewardesses up to pose as the "authors" on publicity tours for the book, full title: "Coffee Tea or Me: The Uninhibited Memoirs of Two Airline Stewardesses."
Don wrote the book strictly from his own imagination, and didn't fess up to the hoax till almost a quarter century later, when an anniversary edition appeared. He later went on to write the "Murder She Wrote" mystery series and many other books (80 in all), and he's a gentleman of the first order.
###
Friday, September 12, 2008
Delays, Cancellations Evening Update
To show you how useless it is to depend on media recitations of "flight delays" during what the airlines call irregular operations, George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport has a 100 percent ontime arrival rate this afternoon between 3 and 5 p.m. CDT. No delays!
Exactly one plane took off and dang, it was on time!
No planes arrived.
On the other hand, 936 flights have been canceled at IAH so far today.
Meanwhile, Flightstats.com was showing "excessive delays" at all three New York area airports, at Philadelphia and at O'Hare. That reflected the backup ripples from Houston and, in the New York area, some rain and clouds.
The F.A.A. Web site's map on airport delays (which has unaccountably sprung back to life in the last day or so, after being comatose for most of a year) has a merry little green dot over IAH. Click on it and you get this clueless information: "General arrival/departure delays are 15 minutes or less."
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Exactly one plane took off and dang, it was on time!
No planes arrived.
On the other hand, 936 flights have been canceled at IAH so far today.
Meanwhile, Flightstats.com was showing "excessive delays" at all three New York area airports, at Philadelphia and at O'Hare. That reflected the backup ripples from Houston and, in the New York area, some rain and clouds.
The F.A.A. Web site's map on airport delays (which has unaccountably sprung back to life in the last day or so, after being comatose for most of a year) has a merry little green dot over IAH. Click on it and you get this clueless information: "General arrival/departure delays are 15 minutes or less."
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As Hurricane Looms, Continental Shuts Down Operations at Houston
Continental Airlines just suspended flight operations at IAH through Sunday morning.
UPDATE 3:30 P.M. -- Continental said this afternoon that it "plans to reactivate the [Houston] hub on Sunday morning, although some flights on Sunday will remain subject to cancellation."
All operations, including Continental Express and Continental Connection flights, are affected.
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UPDATE 3:30 P.M. -- Continental said this afternoon that it "plans to reactivate the [Houston] hub on Sunday morning, although some flights on Sunday will remain subject to cancellation."
All operations, including Continental Express and Continental Connection flights, are affected.
###
Airport Delays Today: You Could Look It Up ...
... and you should, because the television media sure aren't doing it for you.
The excitable Weather Channel has hyped so many storms that you often can't tell what to really expect. But from that source and from others today, it does appear as if a very bad thing is about to occur, with Galveston and Houston and the Louisiana coast in the path of a hurricane whose chief threat appears to be the tsunami-like sea surge it is pushing northward in the Gulf of Mexico.
But besides its live reports, the Weather Channel also offers information on matters such as airport delays, and my jaw dropped a few minutes ago when I saw the reports on the screen claiming that there are no delays at the major airports in the nation. The information was attributed to the F.A.A.
There's your first mistake, depending on the laughable live F.A.A. flight-delay data. The media keep referring people to the F.A.A. flight-delay map at www.faa.gov -- which hasn't worked in a year.
But go online to a reliable source like Flightstats.com and, whoa:
As of 10:30 Central time today, a stunning 566 flights had been canceled at Houston International Airport. That has the effect of reducing the official delay number (assuming the F.A.A. was publishing even that, which is isn't), because a canceled flight is not, of course, a delayed flight.
On the other hand, the crisis at Houston International (and crisis is the operative word) is creating massive problems now rippling into the other big hubs. Atlanta, for example, has a ground hold on traffic, with delays mounting. So go LaGuardia and O'Hare. And just wait till the ripple effect from the canceled Continental and Express Jet flights in Houston barrels into Continental's other major hub at Newark.
So I'd ignore the mainstream media if you need information on flying today. They're stuck in an old formula that looks at inaccurate information on flight delays, and simultaneously ignores the very different measure of flight cancellations. "Many flights were canceled today at O'Hare" is a piece of lame reportage that does you and me no good whatsoever.
Instead, go online to individual airline Web sites and sites like Flightstats.com -- and keep in mind that it's going to be a real mess flying today, especially at hubs east of the Mississippi.
Oh, and by the way, a lot of people I know think the best online weather-report source is Weather Underground. I agree.
Update 12.30 p.m. EDT: Wait! Everything's up to date at Faa.gov! Somebody must have got a stern memo, because I see the F.A.A. "airport status and delays" site is finally up again, with live links. Click on the green light at Houston and it says of IAH: "General arrival/departure delays are 15 minutes or less." Of course, as noted above, that's because more than 550 flights have been canceled so far today at Houston.
###
The excitable Weather Channel has hyped so many storms that you often can't tell what to really expect. But from that source and from others today, it does appear as if a very bad thing is about to occur, with Galveston and Houston and the Louisiana coast in the path of a hurricane whose chief threat appears to be the tsunami-like sea surge it is pushing northward in the Gulf of Mexico.
But besides its live reports, the Weather Channel also offers information on matters such as airport delays, and my jaw dropped a few minutes ago when I saw the reports on the screen claiming that there are no delays at the major airports in the nation. The information was attributed to the F.A.A.
There's your first mistake, depending on the laughable live F.A.A. flight-delay data. The media keep referring people to the F.A.A. flight-delay map at www.faa.gov -- which hasn't worked in a year.
But go online to a reliable source like Flightstats.com and, whoa:
As of 10:30 Central time today, a stunning 566 flights had been canceled at Houston International Airport. That has the effect of reducing the official delay number (assuming the F.A.A. was publishing even that, which is isn't), because a canceled flight is not, of course, a delayed flight.
On the other hand, the crisis at Houston International (and crisis is the operative word) is creating massive problems now rippling into the other big hubs. Atlanta, for example, has a ground hold on traffic, with delays mounting. So go LaGuardia and O'Hare. And just wait till the ripple effect from the canceled Continental and Express Jet flights in Houston barrels into Continental's other major hub at Newark.
So I'd ignore the mainstream media if you need information on flying today. They're stuck in an old formula that looks at inaccurate information on flight delays, and simultaneously ignores the very different measure of flight cancellations. "Many flights were canceled today at O'Hare" is a piece of lame reportage that does you and me no good whatsoever.
Instead, go online to individual airline Web sites and sites like Flightstats.com -- and keep in mind that it's going to be a real mess flying today, especially at hubs east of the Mississippi.
Oh, and by the way, a lot of people I know think the best online weather-report source is Weather Underground. I agree.
Update 12.30 p.m. EDT: Wait! Everything's up to date at Faa.gov! Somebody must have got a stern memo, because I see the F.A.A. "airport status and delays" site is finally up again, with live links. Click on the green light at Houston and it says of IAH: "General arrival/departure delays are 15 minutes or less." Of course, as noted above, that's because more than 550 flights have been canceled so far today at Houston.
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Thursday, September 11, 2008
9-11
Yesterday was a magnificent late-summer day with bright blue skies in the New York area, so much like September 11, 2001, and as I drove my wife to the train station for her commute into New York City we felt that day again in silence.
Early this morning I kissed her goodbye as she left for a flight to Washington, and we felt that day again without words.
Here.
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Early this morning I kissed her goodbye as she left for a flight to Washington, and we felt that day again without words.
Here.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Go, AirTran!
Something's going on with a few smart airlines. They seem to realize that treating your best customers right is a good marketing idea. Who'da thought ...
Now we have AirTran actually improving frequent-flier benefits for its best customers -- at a time when the tin-eared major carriers seem to be making great efforts to alienate their most loyal customers by reducing elite-status benefits.
Here's the AirTran announcement today:
***
AirTran Airways Upgrades A+ Rewards Program for Travelers' Benefit
Now we have AirTran actually improving frequent-flier benefits for its best customers -- at a time when the tin-eared major carriers seem to be making great efforts to alienate their most loyal customers by reducing elite-status benefits.
Here's the AirTran announcement today:
***
AirTran Airways Upgrades A+ Rewards Program for Travelers' Benefit
Effective immediately, changes to the A+ Rewards program include:
-- Elite members will be allowed to upgrade to Business Class at the gate starting 40 minutes prior to departure, regardless of fare class purchased and based on availability. Up to one extra passenger may be upgraded if the flight is booked on the same reservation.
-- Elites and A2B corporate customers will be given priority standby status.
-- Elites will have access to an exclusive phone number for calls and questions regarding their program, reservations or redemptions. This phone number can be found when Elite members log in to their account at www.aplusrewards.com.
-- Elites will have the same privileges as Summit members when traveling on our partner Frontier Airlines. These privileges include free DIRECTV(R), complimentary inflight beverages, exemption from redemption fees and exemption from change fees.
Other changes include:
-- Effective February 1, 2009, A+ Vouchers for A+ Rewards flights will no longer be created. After that point, A+ Rewards credits may only be redeemed for flights or upgrades.
The A+ Rewards program allows passengers to redeem A+ credits for one-way flights and operates with A+ credits rather than miles for a faster route to a free* ticket. No matter how many miles are flown, four round-trips equal a free* one-way ticket. AirTran Airways' current A+ Rewards policy has successfully avoided fuel surcharges, increased requirements for redemption and other stringent policies that complicate many frequent flier programs.
"At AirTran Airways, we value our frequent fliers and take great pleasure in rewarding their loyalty to our airline," said Tad Hutcheson, vice president of sales and marketing for AirTran Airways. "We have heard two primary complaints about other loyalty programs: 'Free*' tickets are loaded with fees and complex requirements, and more and more benefits are being taken away. At AirTran Airways, we have addressed these issues so that our free* tickets truly are free*, while adding benefits and perks to our best customers instead of removing them."
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Go, Singapore!
Singapore Airlines today cut its fuel surcharges for short-haul and medium-haul flights, citing declining fuel prices. Let's hope the trend catches on in the industry, but I wouldn't bet on it.
The airline, which operates the world's longest nonstop commercial flight (18 1/2 hours between Newark and Singapore), is keeping the $180 one-way fuel surcharge for flights between North America and Singapore.
But it's lopping $10 off the $110 surcharge for flights between Singapore and Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Also included are flights between Dubai and Istanbul, Dubai and Moscow, and Bangkok and Tokyo.
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The airline, which operates the world's longest nonstop commercial flight (18 1/2 hours between Newark and Singapore), is keeping the $180 one-way fuel surcharge for flights between North America and Singapore.
But it's lopping $10 off the $110 surcharge for flights between Singapore and Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Also included are flights between Dubai and Istanbul, Dubai and Moscow, and Bangkok and Tokyo.
###
Do Not Try This Online
There's a stone brilliant full-page piece of advertising by Southwest Airlines in today's Wall Street Journal print editions. It goes right to the heart of the various extra charges airlines like to pile on after they tell you what the fare is.
The headline says: "These fares look the same until you hold them up to the light."
Below that, on the left side of the page, it says: "Southwest Airlines: $69." And on the right side of the page it says "The other guys: $69."
But hold the paper up to the light and you see a drop-list of extra charges piled onto the $69 fare by the "other guys." It's printed in reverse on the back side of the page. Under the Southwest "$69" is empty space.
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The headline says: "These fares look the same until you hold them up to the light."
Below that, on the left side of the page, it says: "Southwest Airlines: $69." And on the right side of the page it says "The other guys: $69."
But hold the paper up to the light and you see a drop-list of extra charges piled onto the $69 fare by the "other guys." It's printed in reverse on the back side of the page. Under the Southwest "$69" is empty space.
###
Monday, September 08, 2008
United Airlines Bankru ... Oops! Never Mind!
I'm always annoyed in general by Web stories that don't have dates on them. But here's a case in which some numbskull evidently put a brand new date on a six-year-old newspaper story and blithely sent it out today as news.
No, United Airlines says, it has not filed for bankruptcy. That's soooo 2002.
But the Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the false story "quickly circulated on Wall Street" until United got out its statement denying it.
No, United Airlines says, it has not filed for bankruptcy. That's soooo 2002.
But the Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the false story "quickly circulated on Wall Street" until United got out its statement denying it.
Shares of United's parent company, UAL, collapsed this morning after the false report circulated, to the point where they were trading at $4 in late morning before trading was halted. After noon, with the story debunked, the shares resumed trading, and closed at $10.92 today, down $1.38.
In its statement, United hastily blamed the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel for the foul-up and demanded a retraction from the paper, which is owned by Tribune Co.
But the Wall Street Journal and the Sun-Sentinel said that the error was made after a reporter for Income Securities Advisors, a newsletter about distressed debt that is carried on Bloomberg News business terminals, mistakenly picked up the six-year-old Chicago Tribune report from the Sun-Sentinel archives while Googling "bankruptcies."
Bloomberg itself then compounded the error by publishing a headline about the false report. Then, it was off to the races on Wall Street.
United entered bankruptcy in 2002 and exited in 2006.
Meanwhile, the headline on the fiasco on Bloomberg.com this afternoon reads, a bit churlishly, it seems to me:
"United Parent UAL Says it Didn't File for Bankruptcy."
United couldn't be reached for comment on when it didn't stop beating its wife.
###
Lost in America
Keep in mind, these people's votes count just the same as yours ...
Last month, a group of vacationing family members and friends from Southern California in four vehicles used a Global Positioning System to find their way out of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the wilds of Utah. "They got stranded on the edge of a 500-foot cliff," according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune, which added:
"The incident is part of a growing problem of people relying on technology to find a quick route across an area of deep canyons, washes and primitive roads that could be too much even for off-highway vehicles."
The travelers were rescued after calling for help on a cell phone.
The article in the Salt Lake City paper said that dozens of similar incidents have occurred in the wilderness of Grand Staircase-Escalante. Among the most recent ones:
--A Pennsylvania couple following GPS instructions who got lost and stranded for four days
--A Connecticut family following GPS instructions who got lost and stole a rancher's pickup to tow their bogged-down car. The pickup ran out of gas and the family was rescued ... by the rancher whose pickup they'd stolen.
--A group from Belgium stranded after following GPS instructions. "The family had to lick condensation off their minivan's windshield for water" before they were finally rescued, said the newspaper, in a report by Mark Havnes.
Thanks to the wonderful weekly "High Country News" -- always a great read -- for the tip.
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Last month, a group of vacationing family members and friends from Southern California in four vehicles used a Global Positioning System to find their way out of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the wilds of Utah. "They got stranded on the edge of a 500-foot cliff," according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune, which added:
"The incident is part of a growing problem of people relying on technology to find a quick route across an area of deep canyons, washes and primitive roads that could be too much even for off-highway vehicles."
The travelers were rescued after calling for help on a cell phone.
The article in the Salt Lake City paper said that dozens of similar incidents have occurred in the wilderness of Grand Staircase-Escalante. Among the most recent ones:
--A Pennsylvania couple following GPS instructions who got lost and stranded for four days
--A Connecticut family following GPS instructions who got lost and stole a rancher's pickup to tow their bogged-down car. The pickup ran out of gas and the family was rescued ... by the rancher whose pickup they'd stolen.
--A group from Belgium stranded after following GPS instructions. "The family had to lick condensation off their minivan's windshield for water" before they were finally rescued, said the newspaper, in a report by Mark Havnes.
Thanks to the wonderful weekly "High Country News" -- always a great read -- for the tip.
###
Soaring Fares? Maybe Not ...
It may be time to have another look at those reports about soaring fares this fall. So far, what I'm seeing (though admittedly from a small personal sample) is low fares.
I just booked two trips on Continental. One was to Mike Boyd's Boyd Group aviation forecast in Aspen in early October. Since I plan to be in Tucson for a while afterward, I needed to book an open-jaw itinerary -- Newark to Denver and then, about two weeks later, Tucson to Newark. I figured I'd be looking at $700 or so -- but the fare came in at a very amazing $375, round-trip.
From Denver I needed to get to Aspen, and back to Denver the next day. On Frontier Airlines, that round-trip cost $159. Then one-way from Denver to Tucson: $99 on Frontier. Very good Frontier fares there.
Next I needed to book from Newark to Atlanta and back on Oct. 29-30. The nonstop fare on Continental, $239.
Incidentally, speaking of prices, but this time in the opposite direction, has anyone else noticed how restaurant prices are getting way out of control? My wife and I recently spent a few days in Cape Coral and Naples, Fla., spending some time with my son and his girlfriend. Dinner for four on three successive nights, at very standard restaurants, nothing fancy, averaged over $100 before tip. And in Cape Coral, at least, the food was just bloody awful, with a numbing consistency.
When we returned our rental car at the airport in Fort Myers (a soul-numbing town that I avoid except to go to the airport), we spoke with an agent there who, without prompting, said he envied us our trip back to New Jersey.
Why?
"I need a food fix," he said.
###
I just booked two trips on Continental. One was to Mike Boyd's Boyd Group aviation forecast in Aspen in early October. Since I plan to be in Tucson for a while afterward, I needed to book an open-jaw itinerary -- Newark to Denver and then, about two weeks later, Tucson to Newark. I figured I'd be looking at $700 or so -- but the fare came in at a very amazing $375, round-trip.
From Denver I needed to get to Aspen, and back to Denver the next day. On Frontier Airlines, that round-trip cost $159. Then one-way from Denver to Tucson: $99 on Frontier. Very good Frontier fares there.
Next I needed to book from Newark to Atlanta and back on Oct. 29-30. The nonstop fare on Continental, $239.
Incidentally, speaking of prices, but this time in the opposite direction, has anyone else noticed how restaurant prices are getting way out of control? My wife and I recently spent a few days in Cape Coral and Naples, Fla., spending some time with my son and his girlfriend. Dinner for four on three successive nights, at very standard restaurants, nothing fancy, averaged over $100 before tip. And in Cape Coral, at least, the food was just bloody awful, with a numbing consistency.
When we returned our rental car at the airport in Fort Myers (a soul-numbing town that I avoid except to go to the airport), we spoke with an agent there who, without prompting, said he envied us our trip back to New Jersey.
Why?
"I need a food fix," he said.
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Saturday, September 06, 2008
Governor's New Private Jet, Better Than the Old Private Jet
Hey, I understand that a private aircraft is the only way to get around efficiently on the grueling drive of a presidential campaign. Seriously, you simply cannot do it if you're waiting for that connection in Atlanta. For this kind of use, private jets make eminent sense.
Still, I do enjoy seeing faux populists get cornered when reality comes knockin'.
The lede on the story about the delivery of Gov. Palin's new private campaign jet in the Arizona Daily Star of Tucson: "Will she sell this one on E-Bay?"
(Actually, the Alaska state jet was never sold on E Bay.)
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Friday, September 05, 2008
Continental Reduces OnePass Benefits, Adds Fee for 1st Checked Bag
Sorry to see Continental Airlines cave in like a $3 suitcase:
Continental -- by mine and most other accounts the best domestic major airline -- has gone over to the Dark Side and put the screws to its frequent fliers who fly short hauls, by eliminating the 500-mile minimum of elite-status points and frequent flier miles for any trip flown, no matter what the length. It's effective in January.
I simply do not understand that move, which matches similar bone-headed moves by US Air and others in punishing frequent fliers. I mean, with more than 10 trillion frequent flier miles outstanding in the universe (by Randy Petersen's count), where is the percentage in this for an airline that's interested in not further infuriating its most loyal customers? Miles are Monopoly money, fer chrissake.
I've said that maintenance and safety are the next big airline story. The second next big airline story is the frequent-flier-miles house of cards. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, Continental also will begin charging for the first checked bag.
Here's the e mail Continental sent to its OnePass elite-status members today:
"Our OnePass members are important to us, so we are making every effort to keep you informed of some changes to our checked baggage policy and the OnePass program.
Effective Oct. 7, 2008, customers will be charged $15 for their first checked bag when traveling on tickets purchased on or after Sept. 5, 2008, within the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.
Because you are an Elite member, you are exempt from paying the fee and will be allowed to check your first bag free of charge. Customers traveling with you are also exempt from the fee as long as they are traveling in the same reservation.
Effective for travel on or after Jan. 1, 2009, OnePass members will earn the actual miles flown rather than a minimum of 500 miles per flight for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008. This affects base miles and Elite Qualifying Miles on flights operated by Continental* and most OnePass airline partners.
Also effective for reward travel booked on or after Jan.1, 2009, reward travel mileage requirements will increase for customers traveling between North America and Tel Aviv (TLV) and between Hawaii and Tel Aviv.
Effective for travel on or after March 1, 2009, Elite Mileage Bonuses will decrease for Platinum members from 125% to 100% and for Silver members from 50% to 25% for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008. Gold members will continue to earn 100% mileage bonuses.
Full details of all changes can be found at continental.com.
We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you soon."
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Continental -- by mine and most other accounts the best domestic major airline -- has gone over to the Dark Side and put the screws to its frequent fliers who fly short hauls, by eliminating the 500-mile minimum of elite-status points and frequent flier miles for any trip flown, no matter what the length. It's effective in January.
I simply do not understand that move, which matches similar bone-headed moves by US Air and others in punishing frequent fliers. I mean, with more than 10 trillion frequent flier miles outstanding in the universe (by Randy Petersen's count), where is the percentage in this for an airline that's interested in not further infuriating its most loyal customers? Miles are Monopoly money, fer chrissake.
I've said that maintenance and safety are the next big airline story. The second next big airline story is the frequent-flier-miles house of cards. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, Continental also will begin charging for the first checked bag.
Here's the e mail Continental sent to its OnePass elite-status members today:
"Our OnePass members are important to us, so we are making every effort to keep you informed of some changes to our checked baggage policy and the OnePass program.
Effective Oct. 7, 2008, customers will be charged $15 for their first checked bag when traveling on tickets purchased on or after Sept. 5, 2008, within the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.
Because you are an Elite member, you are exempt from paying the fee and will be allowed to check your first bag free of charge. Customers traveling with you are also exempt from the fee as long as they are traveling in the same reservation.
Effective for travel on or after Jan. 1, 2009, OnePass members will earn the actual miles flown rather than a minimum of 500 miles per flight for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008. This affects base miles and Elite Qualifying Miles on flights operated by Continental* and most OnePass airline partners.
Also effective for reward travel booked on or after Jan.1, 2009, reward travel mileage requirements will increase for customers traveling between North America and Tel Aviv (TLV) and between Hawaii and Tel Aviv.
Effective for travel on or after March 1, 2009, Elite Mileage Bonuses will decrease for Platinum members from 125% to 100% and for Silver members from 50% to 25% for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008. Gold members will continue to earn 100% mileage bonuses.
Full details of all changes can be found at continental.com.
We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you soon."
###
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
New Title, New Plans
I've been AWOL for a bit, holed up at my Sonoran desert compound.
Am back starting tomorrow with a new title, which reflects the title of a book I am writing on air travel, to be published next year: "High Anxiety."
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Am back starting tomorrow with a new title, which reflects the title of a book I am writing on air travel, to be published next year: "High Anxiety."
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